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Dee Brown’s The EDGE Premieres with Taraflex® Evolution
ORLANDO, FL, NOVEMBER 22, 2006 – The EDGE and the Taraflex® Evolution System, both new concepts in basketball, share a joint debut. Dee Brown, EDGE CEO and president, former All-Star NBA player, WNBA coach and ESPN NBA analyst, says the brand new EDGE basketball training facility represents the future of basketball where the best of tradition merges with outstanding innovations like Taraflex® Evolution flooring.
EDGE stands for “Elite Development Growth Environment” and is designed for players seven years old and older to teach them the fundamentals of the game and how to play basketball as part of a team not as an individual player. The EDGE facility matches the intensity level of the training with experienced coaches and professional caliber equipment. The athletes will be shooting, dribbling and training on courts which NBA teams visiting the Orlando area are expected to practice on prior to their games.
The 5,000 square feet of the Taraflex® Evolution System in Maple Design is installed on one full-size basketball court and two half courts. The half courts feature video motion analysis and are equipped with cameras to videotape players during training sessions. The session can be transferred to a DVD, e-mailed or printed out as still photos frame by frame. The session can be viewed on a plasma screen so the player’s performance can be evaluated during the lesson to improve his/her skills.
Brown made an educated decision when he selected the synthetic Evolution System instead of a regular hardwood floor for the basketball courts.
“As an ex-professional player, I know how the floor should feel on the leg and I want the best for the seven year olds and the professional players who will be using our courts,” says Brown. “This Evolution floor is just amazing because it’s great for the knees. From an injury standpoint that’s important. The players want to know they won’t slide and can stop or turn on a dime.”
The Evolution System brings together a DIN certified sub floor made of 15-ply Birchwood with a resilient vinyl surface layer for exceptional shock absorption, comfort and superior performance. The hybrid floor combines the best features of two flooring types: point-elastic and area-elastic. The benefits of the point-elastic surface are safety, shock absorption at the point of impact, performance and consistent ball bounce. The point-elastic surface deforms at the point of impact with no area deflection and gives a running, jumping or falling player a comfortable landing. The advantages of the area-elastic wood sub floor include DIN certification, safety and performance.
“This floor is the jewel of this facility,” explains Brown. “It has layers to absorb the shock. I’ve had experience elsewhere with floors with lots of maintenance, with humidity issues and that’s why I love this synthetic floor.”
The Evolution System is durable and not affected by humidity or temperature fluctuations because it is environmentally stable. The resilient vinyl surface never needs to be waxed, sanded, resurfaced or recoated.
“Being a part of EDGE is extremely important not only for Taraflex but for basketball players,” says Nicolas Bauer, Gerflor sports marketing manager. “EDGE and Evolution are new concepts for the serious basketball community. When playing on Taraflex® Evolution, athletes will be able to play longer and harder because of the floor’s energy return feature and the knowledge that there is a reduced risk of shin splints, stress fractures and other injuries because of its 61% shock absorption.”
Dee Brown, the 1991 NBA Slam Dunk Champion, is very specific about the goals of The EDGE, stating, “We hope it will change the dynamics of basketball growth and development and where and what it should be played on.”
In addition to Brown, The EDGE staff includes Director of Basketball Marvin Harvey, a basketball teaching professional for 25 years. Harvey has worked with young players and members of NBA and WNBA teams and operates Harvey’s Shooters Touch Academy at EDGE. More information is available at www.edgebasketball.com.
The Taraflex® Evolution floor was installed by Southeastern Services & Equipment, Inc. of New Smyrna Beach, FL. Atlanta-based Gerflor Sports Flooring, LLC is the exclusive agent for Gerflor Sports Flooring and exclusive distributor of the Taraflex® Evolution System in North America. Taraflex floors meet and exceed the stringent performance standards mandated by all major flooring associations. For more information call 800-727-7505.
Photo Credit: Billings Photography & Design